Four-time supercross and three-time motocross champion Ryan Villopoto and his company PNWMX, LLC have been selected as the new promoter for Straddleline ORV Park by the Grays Harbor County Commissioners.

Villopoto, of Poulsbo, and his company were vying for a contract against Mecca ORV LLC headed by longtime Straddleline volunteer Scott McFate. The commissioners gave each group an opportunity to present their plans for the park during a special meeting on Dec. 6.

During public comment, Ted Duvall, who had submitted a proposal to serve as promoter in the past, recommended Villopoto, noting that McFate’s group would do a fine job, but Villopoto would be akin to “Russell Wilson retiring and coming down here to start up a football camp.”

Villopoto’s business plan presented to the commissioners said several big name sponsors were already in line to back the park. Those sponsors include Monster Energy and Kawasaki.

Among scheduled improvements are a new layout to slow down the track for more safety, longer lap times, and better passing options. The kids track will be moved to the inside of the flat track for improved safety.

Other improvements would be a developed RV park with additional spaces and cabins.

Additions will include a mountain biking course and a low-land gravity park.

“That could be running simultaneously as all of this,” said Brent Davis, a representative of PNWMX LLC, during a presentation to the commissioners.

Mecca ORV had suggested similar improvements, including a slower track and additional ORV spaces, but in the end, the commissioners went with Villopoto’s plan, which was recommended by the ORV park advisory committee.

“For me it comes down to the ORV park committee’s recommendation, the quality of sponsors, the marketing opportunities, and the equipment owned by the applicant,” Commissioner and Chairman Wes Cormier said.

Davis suggested Villopoto’s name would be a draw for the park.

“And the special thing that people don’t realize is they get to spend every day with him. He’s not just signing on to put his name on it. He’s going to be a part of this park,” Davis said. “We get to spend time with him, and nobody in the country has that ability to be in a public setting and have him there.

“It’s going to be a huge economic swing for Grays Harbor County.”

Villopoto is no stranger to the park. As a child, Villopoto said he had ridden at Straddleline when it was owned by Thurston County.

“I remember coming out here and I rode the track when I was probably 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 years old,” Villopoto told the commissioners. “It was funny to come back and ride at Straddleline where I grew up riding.”

Following the meeting, Villopoto pointed to his network of professionals and his social media following as examples of his potential to draw riders to the park.

“We want to put on events that either haven’t been done or are only once a year here, and we’ve already talked to one of the major promoters up here about getting one of the biggest events in the Northwest and bringing it to Straddleline,” he said. “For myself, we’re going to hold our own events also. We’ve talked about putting on a Ryan Villopoto camp for about three or four days, with myself and maybe Nick Wey (another retired motocross rider) and a well-known off-road guy, and just set up different courses, and run through what to do in different scenarios.”

“How many people can I bring in? Everything is done on social media now… Just my Instagram followers alone is 812,000 people,” he said. “If I need it, we can get it.”

Villopoto said he owned his own track in Florida.

“That was on the East Coast. Florida. That’s not home for me,” he said. “I also had a house in California and I’ve rode all the tracks down there — at least that’s closer. It’s the West Coast so it felt more like home, but for me, it just wasn’t home. Being from the Northwest, it’s definitely a different place.”

The park has been without a promoter since Oct. 31 after the former promoters chose to not renew their contract with the county.

Some of the equipment at the park was purchased with grant funding from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. If the ORV park was not up and running within three years, the county may have had to reimburse the state for the money it invested in the park.

Following the meeting, some members of the public and the park advisory committee took pictures with Villopoto.